Will You Let Me Hear Your Heartbeat?
by iciz89
Summary: She is cold and distant, harboring a deep secret that she is too ashamed to reveal. He is kind and compassionate, yet burdened by the pain of his tragic past that he tried to seal away. When the two meet, their feelings for each other become undeniable. But when it is revealed that she is the cause of his pain and suffering, will he fight for their love or will he let her go? (AU)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Her Grand Entrance

"Come on, Ichigo! You can't stay locked up in your hotel room forever!" Keigo yelled as he punched the door with his fists.

"Let him be, Keigo," said his best friend, Mizuiro. "He's been sick all week."

"Yeah, but this is just ridiculous. Who the hell comes all the way to Okinawa for a vacation and doesn't bother getting a hint of vitamin D?" Keigo asked. He continued to punch the door and yelled, "Ichigo, I know you're not dead yet so come out!"

When the door opened, Keigo and Mizuiro couldn't help but grimace at the sight of their friend. Room #1984 belonged to no one other than Ichigo Kurosaki, a soon-to-be senior at Karakura High School. While he usually kept his orange hair neatly spiked up and his face clean and well shaven, today his hair looked like it hadn't been brushed for days and the dark circles under his sharp, brown eyes were so noticeable that they almost looked permanent.

"Holy crap, Ichigo," Keigo gasped. "What the hell happened to you?"

"It's what happens when you get sick," Ichigo said quietly. He walked back to his bed and laid down, letting out a loud groan that vibrated through his pillows. "This sucks…"

Keigo and Mizuiro carefully entered the room and immediately regretted doing so. There were cough medicine bottles and used tissues all over the hotel floor. The trash can was overfilled with food from the restaurant in the hotel lobby that looked like it hadn't been emptied since the first day they arrived in Okinawa.

"Are you sure you caught the cold and not some kind of deadly disease?" Mizuiro asked as he hopped his way towards the bed.

"No joke. You're not going to start decomposing and turning into a zombie on me, are you?" Keigo chimed in.

Ichigo lifted his face up and glared at Keigo. "Shut it."

"And these tissues…" Keigo's face became pale as he tried to kick a tissue that was stuck to the bottom of his left shoe. "You _did_ use them to blow your nose and nothing else, right?"

Ichigo grabbed an empty box of Kleenex from the table and threw it at Keigo, who easily dodged out of the way. "Really? That's all you can think of?"

"I'm kidding…We've just been worried about you," said Keigo.

"Sorry. I really didn't expect to get sick all of sudden. This crap came out of nowhere," said Ichigo.

This had to have been the worst vacation that Ichigo had ever been in. During the last semester of his junior year, Kisuke Urahara, the headmaster of Karakura High School, made an announcement that the class that finished the year with the highest exam score would win a 5 day vacation to Okinawa. Although Ichigo's class won the contest, out of the 30 students in Class 2-B, he was unfortunately the only one who had to barricade himself in his hotel room due to having the unusual luck of being sick. What started as a slight discomfort in his stomach led to coughing, high fever, and body ache that lasted for the entire duration of their trip.

"Well…we do fly out tomorrow. Do you think you have enough energy to go to the Mihama American Village with us?" Mizuiro asked.

"Yeah, why the hell not. I have to enjoy at least one scenery while I'm here. Give me few minutes to get ready," Ichigo replied.

"All right. We'll wait for you downstairs," Mizuiro pushed Keigo out of the room, who was still trying to get the tissue unstuck from his shoe.

* * *

When Ichigo came down to the lobby, he found Keigo and Mizuiro talking to Orihime and Tatsuki, two girls who Ichigo was also friends with. Orihime earned the valedictorian spot during their first year and maintained the rank since then, but she was also a total disaster when it came to cooking. Her favorite hobby consisted of creating new recipes but her creations left her friends appalled due to all the random ingredients that she put together. Tatsuki, on the other hand, was an extroverted athlete with blunt attitude who dominated in all the sports clubs that she joined. She led her teams to numerous championships and was even scouted by the boys' teams due to her talent. Although the two didn't have much in common, they were undeniably inseparable.

The rest of the day went by smoothly, with Ichigo and his friends enjoying their last day by exploring the quiet and peaceful scenery that the village had to offer. While they were at one of the souvenir shops, Ichigo pick up a key chain for his little sister, Yuzu. Orihime approached him as he picked up a teddy bear keychain.

"Yuzu would love that," she said.

"Yeah. You should see her bedroom. She is starting to become a total addict when it comes to teddy bears," said Ichigo. "I thought by now she'd outgrow it but I guess she hasn't hit that stage yet."

"I would like to buy one for her as well."

"Oh, you don't have to—"

"I insist. I was her math tutor for a while, after all."

"Well then…thank you," Ichigo smiled.

Meanwhile, Keigo and Tatsuki watched Ichigo and Orihime's interaction from a counter nearby. Keigo leaned over to Tatsuki and whispered, "You think those two will cut the crap and start dating?"

"That'll be the day," Tatsuki rolled her eyes.

Despite the amount of effort she put in trying to convince Orihime to make the first move, she knew Orihime was more likely to keep her feelings hidden and let the chances slip away. As for Ichigo, he simply seemed too oblivious to even notice Orihime. As she continued to watch the two, she saw Orihime pick up a keychain from the display rack. Her eyes narrowed as soon as she saw the design—a teddy bear holding a soccer ball. She tried to stop but she knew she was already too late as her best friend handed it to Ichigo.

Orihime did not realize what she was doing until she saw the hint of sadness in Ichigo's eyes. She gasped and tried to snatch the item back.

"Ichigo, I—I'm sorry…" she muttered, horrified by her actions.

"No, don't worry about it. I think Yuzu would like this better than the one that I picked out," he reassured her.

"But..."

"If you don't mind, I would like to pay for his myself instead. Thank you for helping out, though."

Ichigo gave her a polite smile before walking over to the register. She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Tatsuki standing next to her, her eyes filled with sympathy.

"Tatsuki…I didn't mean to hurt him," Orihime tried to explain.

"It's okay. He knows you meant well. If it bothered him that much, he would've let you know just now. It's a scar that will take long time to heal completely, that's all. Don't let it get to you."

Orihime was a little relaxed as she listened to her reassuring words but could not shake off the guilt she felt. She tried to take the first step to get a little closer to Ichigo…but failed and ended up making him stray further away than he already was.

* * *

Ichigo and his friends were waiting for the shuttle bus to return to the hotel when they saw a motorcycle parked by the sidewalk. It wasn't just the bright, pink color that made it stand out, but a large drawing of a bunny on the side of the motorcycle.

"Well, well, well…this is something you don't see on a daily basis," said Mizuiro.

"It's quite flamboyant to be riding this on the street," Tatsuki commented.

"Who cares? Ichigo, can you take a picture of me with it?" Keigo asked as he tossed his cell phone. Ichigo shrugged as Keigo posed next to the motorcycle.

"Stop right there!"

The group stopped and turned around, only to find a girl around their age running towards them. She was wearing a ball gown and was holding a white bag that matched Ichigo's. Just few yards behind her, two men in black suits were running down the stairs chasing after her, yelling at bystanders to catch her.

"MOVE!" The girl ordered Keigo, who immediately obeyed. But she bumped straight into Ichigo and they both dropped their shopping bag.

"Really…?" She muttered as she glared at him.

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Ichigo tried to help.

"Hey, kids! Stop the girl!" One of the guards ordered.

Before Ichigo could react, the girl snatched her shopping bag off the ground and sat down on her motorcycle. She then pierced a hole through her dress with her keys and completely ripped off the bottom half, revealing her toned legs as well as her four-inch stilettos. She threw the dress on the ground and started the ignition, enthusiastically raising her middle finger at the guards as she sped off onto the highway. Ichigo and his friends watched in shock by the event that unfolded in front of them while the guards cursed at the sight of her disappearing.

"We lost Chappy…" One of the guards growled as he pressed a button on his walkie-talkie. "I repeat—we lost Chappy!"

"Thanks a lot for your help," the other guard said sarcastically before the two headed back.

"What was that all about…?" Orihime asked in bewilderment.

"Dude, she was a total badass!" Keigo exclaimed. "Not only did she run like a pro wearing stilettos, she gave us a peep show of her legs and they were fine as hell! Did I mention she was running in stilettos?! Freaking stilettos! What kind of sorcery is that?!"

"Calm down," Tatsuki sighed as she patted him on his shoulder. "Someone like her is probably not worth your time."

"How can you say that? Did you not see her?!" Keigo continued to yell in excitement.

"We all did. But not a lot of people can pull that off. She's probably a delinquent or someone who works at a hostess bar. Why else would she be dressed like that in the middle of a day?" Tatuski answered.

Orihime picked up Ichigo's shopping bag and gave it to him. "Here you go."

"Thank you." As Ichigo peeked inside to see if his souvenirs were unbroken, he immediately blushed. "What the hell?!"

His friends peeked inside the bag and blushed as well. What was supposed to be a keychain inside had now been replaced with a black, lace thong.

"Like I said…not worth your time," Tatuski shook her head.

"We should go back and get your sisters another gift," said Orihime.

Ichigo sighed in frustration. "Just one problem. My wallet was in that bag."

* * *

Luckily for Ichigo, there wasn't much in his wallet except for cash and his student ID. What upset him was the fact that the wallet was a hand-me-down from his father who received it as a gift from Ichigo's mom before she passed away. The only thing Ichigo could do was hope that the girl who took his shopping bag was kind enough to mail his wallet to his school.

The morning of his first day of school started off just like any other day. Ichigo's father, Isshin, left to work before sunrise and Yuzu had breakfast prepared by the time Ichigo finished getting ready. On his way out, he looked at the family portrait that hung on the living room wall and smiled sadly as he stared at his deceased mother and his other younger sister, Karin. Yuzu was nervous about starting her her third year in middle school and as much as he tried to comfort her, Ichigo knew there was only so much he could do. It wasn't easy living without a mother...but to also lose her twin sister forced Yuzu to grow up faster than other kids, completely stripping her chances of living with a normal childhood.

It was a sunny and beautiful morning and Keigo and Mizuiro were waiting for him in front of the house, just like how they have always been there since middle school. Today was going to be same…or so he thought.

"Welcome back to your final year, kids!" Miss Misato exclaimed as she stared at her 25 students. "I am pleased to announce that I will be your homeroom teacher again. I can't tell you how pleased I am to be the one to help you get ready for college! We are going to have one fantastic year!" She looked down at her attendance log and quickly scanned the room. "Hmm…so Sho and Hitoshi decided to skip their first day, huh? Well, they will show up later this month so that's okay!"

She ignored her students' confused reaction and continued. "Before we start, I have a special announcement to make. We have a brand new student who will be joining us. She attended private schools her entire life so this is actually her first time attending public school. Come on in!"

The door slid open and Ichigo gasped as soon as the new student entered inside. She was short, petite, with black hair that rested neatly against her shoulders…the same girl who sped off with his souvenir gift in Okinawa. The girl stood next to Miss Misato's lectern as she wrote her name on the chalkboard.

"Class, this is Rukia Kuchiki."

"No. Freaking. Way." said Tatsuki.

"That's the hot chick with the rabbit bike!" Keigo said in disbelief.

The students whispered among themselves as they waited for her to bow. When Rukia continued to stand still, Miss Misato leaned next to her and whispered, "Um…aren't you forgetting something?"

Rukia raised her eyebrow and stared back.

"You have to introduce herself," said Miss Misato.

Rukia raised her hand and gave a single wave. "Hey."

The whispers became louder as the students talked to themselves. Miss Misato laughed as she slapped the lectern with her attendance log to keep her class quiet.

"That's one way to make a first impression. I like that. We do have few vacant desks—"

Rukia did not hesitate and walked over to Ichigo's desk, never keeping her eyes off of him. She stopped in front of him and watched in silence as he began to tense up.

"Um…hi…?" said Ichigo.

"Where is it?" She demanded.

"Where is…what?" He asked, already dreading her reply.

"Where is my thong that you ran off with?!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Cut

"Can I ask what you think you're doing?" Ichigo demanded when the two reached an empty hallway.

He received Miss Misato's permission to leave the classroom as long as they returned before end of the day, frustrating him even more with her carefree attitude. Ichigo considered pleading with Rukia to talk it over after class, but judging from her immediate outburst, he had a feeling patience was nonexistent with her. All he ever wanted was to finish high school with a low profile and mind his own business. How was it that this girl could destroy his plan with one, single question regarding her underwear?

Rukia shrugged. "I don't understand what you're so upset about."

"What are you doing at my school? Since when are you a transfer student?"

"Since today…when I put on this uniform."

"So out of all the schools you could've transferred to, you chose mine?"

"I'm not stalking you, if that's what you're asking."

"Then tell me why you're here!"

"None of your business," said Rukia. "Look. Can I just get my thong back?"

"It's at home. I'll give it to you tomorrow—"

"No. I want it today. Take me to your house after school."

"What…?" Ichigo asked, taken back by her suggestion.

Rukia sighed in irritation and took something out from her pocket before throwing it at him. Ichigo barely caught it and his eyes widened when he realized it was his wallet with his keychain inside.

"Let's make this a quick, even exchange. I gave you what you lost so give me back what is mine."

"O—okay. Fine," said Ichigo, realizing she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. "After school then?" Rukia nodded and began to walk away. "Where are you going?"

"I'm hungry."

"But the cafeteria isn't serving lunch for another four hours."

"Who said I was eating here?"

"Are you seriously ditching school on your first day?!" Ichigo asked, shocked. "Wait a minute!"

Ichigo grabbed her hand to stop her but she fiercely pulled it out of his grasp and took a step back. "Don't touch me," she warned.

"Sorry, but what are you going to do if you get caught?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia gave another single wave before walking down the stairs. "I'll think about it then."

* * *

Rukia did not return for the rest of the day, but by then the damage was beyond repairable. The news of her arrival as well as her disappearance spread through school like wildfire and she became the newest sensation, sparkling curiosity among the students. And while Ichigo tried his best to pay attention to his lectures, he found that task to be impossible. His mind was preoccupied with Rukia…with too many questions to ask yet too little answers to make sense out of. Who was she? What was her real reason for coming to Karakura High School? What was with her rebellious attitude and behavior? Who were the guys that were chasing after her back in Okinawa? _Why_ was she being chased to begin with? Would she even answer if he asked?

When Ichigo, Orihime, and Tatsuki reached the court yard, they saw Rukia standing by the front gate, chewing a bubblegum. She ignored all the students who were staring at her and kept her eyes fixed on Ichigo, who could feel the tension build up when he saw Tatsuki's face harden at the sight of her.

"Where have you been all day?" he asked Rukia, only to receive the sound of her gum popping in return.

"Hey, new girl. You have some nerves ditching school on your first day," said Tatsuki. "You don't expect to last long by skipping classes, do you?"

"Tell that to the Headmaster," Rukia retorted.

"So you don't care if you're expelled?" Tatsuki asked.

"What's it to you?" Rukia fired back.

"Our grades matter! Are you trying to sabotage everything we worked for?! " Tatsuki yelled.

"Tatsuki, hold on…" said Orihime. "Hi, Rukia. We are just worried because your grade affects our class average. We are currently ranked first and we worked really hard to maintain it. We would really appreciate it if you could take your attendance seriously. " Rukia did not respond and blew another bubble with her gum. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? My name is Orihime Inoue and—"

"I don't care," Rukia interrupted her.

"Huh? O—oh…I'm…I'm sorry…" Orihime stammered.

"Don't apologize, Orihime." Tatsuki turned to Rukia angrily. "You. What the hell is your problem? She's trying to be nice to you and yet you're going to brush her off like that?"

"She can save her breath for someone who actually gives a damn."

Tatsuki's eyes widened with anger. "What did you say?!"

She took a step forward towards Rukia but Ichigo blocked her path with his arm. "Tatsuki, let me apologize on Rukia's behalf," he said.

"Ichigo, what the hell!" Tatsuki exclaimed. "Can't you see how she insulted Orihime?!"

"Forget this. Let's go," said Rukia before blowing another bubble and walking away.

Ichigo mouthed "sorry" to his friends before following her, leaving them flabbergasted. While Tatsuki huffed and tried her best to calm down, Orihime couldn't help but feel slightly jealous as she watched Ichigo and Rukia leave. She and Ichigo had been friends for almost six years now…but why did it appear as if there was a deeper connection between Ichigo and Rukia despite knowing each other for one day?

Was it just her imagination? It had to be.

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia walked awkwardly next to each other as he led her to his house. She hasn't said one word after they left the school ground and he couldn't tell if she was upset by Tatsuki's behavior.

'Come on, Ichigo…' he thought, 'You had a list of questions to ask this girl. No point staying quiet.'

"So…what did you eat?" Ichigo asked but almost immediately wanted to kick himself for choosing such a stupid question. Rukia raised her eyebrow, seemingly agreeing with his reaction. "Um…I mean, if you were willing to ditch school for it, it must have been some place good."

"Downtown."

"Ah. That should've been a small tour for you. How do you feel about our town?"

"It's okay. Reminds me of Okinawa."

"How long have you lived there?"

"Not too long."

"What brings you to our town?"

"I have some business to take care of."

"Oh? Do you have any family here?"

Rukia stopped walking and said, "You know, you ask a lot of questions."

"Am I bothering you?" Ichigo asked.

"Don't try to be so friendly. I'm not worth knowing."

Rukia did not say another word until they reached Ichigo's house. As Ichigo picked up the souvenir bag that he hid under his bed after he came back from Okinawa, he played the last words that came out of Rukia's mouth in his head. What was it about her that made his chest feel so heavy on their way home? Was it her eyes that looked so distant even though they were staring at the street in front of her? Was it the apathetic look on her face that never changed? No, it was her tone. It was how she said that last comment. When she said she was not worth knowing, she thoroughly meant it…almost as if she barely saw any value in her existence.

Ichigo came back to the front porch and handed the bag to Rukia. "I need to ask you one more question," he said. "Are you in some sort of danger?"

"What makes you say that?" Rukia asked.

"When I first met you, you were being chased by two men. You were in a hurry to get away from them and our bags got switched in the process—I get that. Hell, I will even accept the fact that you flew here just to get your underwear back despite how insane that sounds. But then you somehow end up transferring to our school? Tell me if I'm wrong but there is no way this is all coincidence. The more I think about it, I can't help but wonder if those guys have anything to do with you being here."

Rukia briefly looked away, unsure how to respond to his observations. However, she quickly regained her thoughts and cleared her throat. "Then stop thinking. What did I say about being friendly?"

She grabbed the bag from Ichigo and began to walk away. "Rukia!" Ichigo called out. "You're coming to school tomorrow, right?"

Rukia ignored him as she continued to walk away. He watched her until she disappeared around the corner. Few moments later, he heard the sound of car honk and found his dad's car pulling into the driveway. He could see how tired Isshin looked as he got out of the car.

"Were you waiting for me?" Isshin asked.

"No…just saying goodbye to a classmate," said Ichigo. "How was work?"

"Hectic. We had a group of delinquents who came in all beat up so we had to perform surgery on a couple of them. I swear, sometimes I wonder if you and your sister are the only normal kids left in this town. Speaking of which, is Yuzu back from school yet?"

"No. She's a member of that newspaper club, remember? She won't be home for another hour. Do you want me to make you anything for dinner?"

"No. I think I'm just going to rest instead. Tell Yuzu I'll see her in the morning."

Ichigo thought about asking his dad to stay awake longer but changed his mind and followed him inside, locking himself in his room until Yuzu came home. It was never always like this. In fact, just few years ago, his dad would've overreacted if his sisters came home late and force Ichigo to follow him to their school just to see if they were spending time with boys, only to be scolded by Ichigo's mother.

Isshin graduated from medical school but when he married his wife, he chose to open up a small clinic in order to spend more time with his family. However, after his wife and their daughter both passed away, he accepted a job offer at one of the biggest hospitals in the country and constantly pulled a 70 hour work week. While some may have considered him being passionate about his career, Ichigo and Yuzu saw it as nothing more than his method of coping with his wife's death—distancing himself from his two children who were still alive.

* * *

Rukia stood in front of Platinum Club and checked her watch. 5:15pm…she was late but she knew that wouldn't matter. Her walk with Ichigo took a lot longer than she expected, and since she was not allowed to bring her motorcycle with her when she left Okinawa, she took the inconvenient method of walking back to her apartment to gather few items that she placed inside a duffle bag that she now carried with her.

As she unlocked the door and reluctantly entered inside the building, she was instantly greeted by the pungent smell of marijuana that filled the the hallway. The club was not supposed to open for another three hours but that did not stop her soon-to-be old acquaintances from wasting their lives away with drugs and alcohol during the day.

'Ten minutes and I'm out of here…' Rukia thought.

She waited almost two months for this moment…to wash her hands off of the mess she stupidly decided to get herself involved in and finally be free. She made reckless decisions in the past but this was one of the few she would regret no matter how many years passed by. But now, she needed to enter a new chapter in her life. She was going to cut off all ties with those who could only provide toxic relationships.

She reached the room at the end of the hallway and went inside. She started coughing as she found herself barely able to breathe from the heavy smoke of marijuana that filled the room. When she looked around the room, she could see the same ten girls she used to be close with staring back at her.

"Would you look at that?" The girl sitting in the middle smirked. "Our little Ruru is here."

"Minako…" Rukia whispered her name.

"Are you here to tell us you changed your mind about leaving?"

"On the contrary…"

Rukia tossed the duffle bag on the table, knocking down empty shot glasses on the floor. Minako opened the bag and whistled, impressed by what she saw. She flipped the bag and let a stack of money, jewelries, five bags of marijuana, and a black thong fall. The rest of the girls sat straight and whispered excitedly among themselves when they saw the contents of the bag.

"That's 300,000 Yen, jewelries that are worth approximately 500,000 Yen, five pounds of marijuana, and the stupid thong from Victoria Secret that you asked for," said Rukia.

"Holy shit," Minako chuckled. "I can't believe this. You pulled this off…you actually pulled it off."

"The money is real. You can check them at the bank. They aren't wired so you don't have to worry about spending them. The jewelries are also real. As you can see, I left the price tags on them."

"No, I believe you, Ruru. I know you're not the kind of person to deceive us. Tell me…how difficult was it to steal them?"

"Believe it or not, the thong was the only item I had trouble with. Knowing you…of course you would make me steal it from Mihama American Village."

Minako's eyes glimmered with delight. "I heard your guards found you."

"Who told you?"

"I had a friend keep an eye out. I wanted to make sure you didn't get this from anywhere else."

"Funny how you say I wouldn't deceive you and yet you keep a lookout. You really are a bitch."

"You were the one who taught me not to trust anyone," said Minako. "I'm going to be straight up honest with you, though. We were betting on whether you'd succeed. If I would've known it would be this easy, I would've made the requirements higher."

"Are we done?"

Minako picked up a bag of marijuana and leaned back against the chair. "Oh, I don't know…Whatever shall we do if we need more supplies?"

"Are you saying you're taking your promise back?"

"You mean so much to us. I mean, we did spend almost three years together, did we not? How can you just leave it all behind?"

Rukia clenched her jaw when she felt her patience running low. "Second time asking…are we done?"

"Hmm…I wonder what your brother would do if we tell him your location?" She teased.

This time, Rukia started chuckling. "Minako, were you always such a nincompoop?"

"Nin…what?" Minako frowned.

Rukia placed her hands on both ends of the table and leaned forward, staring at the girls one by one. "If he wanted me back, he would've sent more than two bodyguards to chase after me. Besides, did you seriously believe I was trying to hide from my family? Why the hell do you think I moved to this town? I am practically giving them my location. Now, when I told you I wanted to cut ties with you, you told me to find those items. I succeeded, so for the third and hopefully the last time, I will ask again. Are we done?"

"…Fine," Minako replied.

"Will you also keep your promise of never contacting me ever again?"

"What will you do if we refuse?"

"That depends. How quickly would you like to go to jail? You all know who I am and what I am capable of. IWould you like to see me resort to Option B?"

"No..."

"Good." Rukia headed towards the door but she stopped when she was out half way. "Oh, Minako?"

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Since this will be the last time we ever see each other, let's straighten this out right now. My fucking name is Rukia. Remember that name."

She slammed the door and left Platinum Club, never looking back.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! ICIZ89 here. Thank you so much for the positive feedbacks. I was worried at first because I wasn't sure how you would react to the way I was portraying Ichigo and Rukia but I'm glad you guys were able to read the first two chapters with open mind.

I will try to post a new chapter each week so please be patient with me. Also, for those of you who read chapter 2 when it was first uploaded, I apologize for the various mistakes that you probably found. I didn't proof read and didn't notice the mistakes myself until several hours later.

Please enjoy chapter 3!

* * *

Chapter 3: Yuzu's Savior

Beep…Beep…Beep!

Yuzu turned the alarm off from her cell phone and yawned loudly as she woke up. She wanted to go back to sleep but forced herself to stand up and stretch. While her friends were either spending their Saturday sleeping in or enjoying the beautiful day outside, Yuzu wasn't able to obtain that luxury.

When she finished her morning routine she quietly went downstairs, not wanting to wake up anyone. However, when she found Ichigo in the kitchen drinking coffee, they both stared at each other in surprise; neither of them expected each other to be up so early.

"Good morning. Where are you going at this hour?" Ichigo asked.

"Um…" Yuzu murmured. Ichigo came home late last night from spending time with his friends so she didn't expect to see him until later in the day. She quickly eyed her backpack that was hanging on the wall before staring back at her brother. "I have to meet up for our newspaper club."

"Again?" Ichigo asked, "You're meeting up with them quite often. Didn't you see them all this week?"

"Yeah. We are trying to come up with new ideas on how to make our club gain more popularity…so we are meeting at downtown," Yuzu lied. She wasn't sure if it was convincing enough but that was the best she could come up with.

Ichigo's look of doubtfulness became more apparent. "At seven in the morning?"

"Well, I'm going to Midori's house first. Her mom said she's going to cook breakfast for us and then drop us off," Yuzu replied as she began to play with her fingers.

Ichigo stared at his sister for a moment but shrugged and finished his coffee. "That's nice of her."

"Yeah…Um, is dad awake?" Yuzu tried to change the subject.

Ichigo rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Gone. Had to go cut someone open at the hospital. He left us our allowance…that's yours right there."

Yuzu grabbed an envelope on the table and put it inside her back pocket. "Well, I'm going now. Don't want to be late."

Ichigo poured himself another cup of coffee and headed back to his bedroom. His sister was a terrible liar who had the tendency to fidget with her fingers whenever she wasn't telling the truth. But it wasn't as if she was making her behavior unobvious. This was the third, consecutive Saturday that Yuzu was leaving the house at the same time. Ichigo thought about following her and seeing where she was really going but convinced himself not to do so. Yuzu was a private person with a stubborn personality. Whatever she was up to, it wasn't something she wanted him or their dad to know about unless she was absolutely sure she could not handle it on her own.

* * *

As Yuzu hurried her way to the bus stop, she frequently checked behind her to make sure she wasn't being followed. She knew her brother didn't believe her story and that was more than enough to spark his interest and come after her. When her bus arrived, she checked the street for the last time before getting in. She chose the seat in the very back and hugged her backpack closely to her chest.

During her first week of school, she and her best friend stayed late studying and thus missed the last bus. On their way home, they caught the eye of two delinquent girls who demanded money from them. Yuzu gave all of her allowance hoping they would go away, but the girls threatened her until she was forced to find a part time job at a convenience store in order to come up with the amount they were demanding at the end of every week. Yuzu felt chills creeping up her spine as she thought about today's date. The girls were going to stop by to collect their money…and she did not have enough.

If there was anything interesting about her tedious job as a cashier, it was a certain customer who never failed to stop by when Yuzu was at work. She looked old enough to be a high school student but was always in civilian clothes whenever she came in so it was hard to tell how old she was. Her raven colored hair complemented her beautiful, porcelain skin but because she rarely spoke, she came off as intimidating.

When the clock hit noon, the girl came inside the store. Her routine was always the same; she would pick up a small basket that was stacked up next to the ice cream machine, walk over to the back of the store and browse the shelves, grab few packaged foods, walk over to the cooler and grab a drink, and come to the register to pay for her items. What made this girl so unique was that she never bought the same food and drink twice. By now she had tried almost every single food in that store. But today, Yuzu got her confirmation on how old her number one customer was. She was wearing a school uniform from Karakura High School.

As Yuzu watched the girl, she heard the sound of the door opening again. She tried to greet her new customers but her face hardened when she saw two girls entering inside. They were Tomoyo and Rei and they were coming to collect their money.

As Rukia stared at the cooler, she found herself in a dilemma. Which drink should she try—the lemon juice or the aloe soda? She continued to ponder until the smell of cigarette danced under her nose. When she turned around, she saw two middle school students standing by the entrance door. One was watching the cashier who already looked extremely anxious while the other girl stared at Rukia and blew a smoke while standing next to a sign that stated, 'NO SMOKING.'

Rukia grabbed both of the drinks and walked over to the register. "Hi, Yuzu."

"Welcome back," Yuzu forced a smile. "Did you like the yakisoba that you bought yesterday?"

"It was okay," said Rukia.

"What are you trying today?" Yuzu asked as she took out a container from the basket. "Oh, tuna onigiri! I definitely recommend this one."

"You tried it?"

"Yes. I like this one better than the one with spam. It tastes just like how my mom used to make it."

Rukia tuned out as Yuzu kept commenting about each dish that she pulled out from the basket. She was usually a fast cashier who finished transactions in less than a minute but today, she seemed to be taking her time. Meanwhile, two girls who came in after Rukia stayed quiet in their spot.

"What do you recommend?" Rukia asked.

"I—I'm sorry?" Yuzu asked, confused.

"The aloe or the lemon drink? Which one do you recommend?"

"Um…the aloe."

When Yuzu finished ringing the transaction and gave cash back to Rukia, she could feel Yuzu being reluctant to let go of the money. Rukia did not say another word and exited out of the store while the two girls moved out of the way.

* * *

The streetlight turned green but Rukia stood still, replaying the scenery in her head. It wasn't difficult to encrypt what was happening…after all, she also used to participate in such activity. But she cut ties with her old friends for a reason. She wanted to abandon her past.

'What I should do is mind my own business,' Rukia thought. She popped the lid open and took a sip of her aloe drink, only to spit it out instantaneously after taking one sip.

"This is disgusting…" Rukia said to herself as she looked at the bottle.

'Mind your own business, Rukia. Mind your own business,' Rukia thought again. 'Mind your own business and walk away. Do not turn around. Walk away… _walk away_.'

However, Rukia stuffed her aloe drink in the bag and headed back to the convenience store. She needed to mind her own business…but at the same time, she needed to let Yuzu know about her poor choice of recommendation. Yes, that was it. That was why she was returning.

When Rukia entered the store, Yuzu and the two girls were nowhere to be found. She walked every aisle and almost expected to see Yuzu lying on the floor unconscious. Perhaps they had left the building. There was no guarantee that they were going to settle their business in store.

Rukia was about to give up and exit when she suddenly stopped. There was one place she did not check—back office. She dropped her bag on the counter and headed over to the hallway. She peered into an open office but passed by when it was empty. There was a restroom next to it that was closed. Rukia placed her ear next to the door and smiled when she heard voices inside.

"Amateurs…" Rukia whispered.

"Goddamn it, Yuzu. We gave you one week deadline and this was all you could come up with?" Tomoyo complained as she counted every bill that was inside an envelope.

Yuzu bit her lip and lowered her head down. "I'm sorry. That was all I received from my dad today."

"What about your paycheck?" Rei asked.

"I get paid at end of my shift…" said Yuzu.

"Will that be enough?" Rei asked.

"No…I had to cut my work hours because I had to stay late at school this week," Yuzu explained.

"Aren't you rich? Why can't you ask your dad for an increase?" said Tomoyo.

"I…I can't. My dad and my brother will suspect something."

"And that's our problem…how?" said Tomoyo. "Your job is to pay us when we tell you to. When you don't, that's the quickest way to piss us off and get yourself in trouble."

"Why don't you just open the register and give us cash?" Rei suggested.

"I can't! That will get me fired….and I won't be able to pay you—" Yuzu argued.

Tomoyo yanked Yuzu's hair and pulled her close, which made her cry out in pain. "Maybe you should've thought about that before we came over. What the hell do we do with you now?"

She raised her hand to strike Yuzu but stopped when she heard the door open. Rukia walked inside but headed over to the sink to wash her hand, humming a song loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"You…What do you want?" Tomoyo demanded.

Rukia ignored Tomoyo and stared at Yuzu instead. "Yuzu."

"Y—yes?" she choked.

"I didn't like your recommendation."

"I—I'm sorry?"

"That aloe drink you told me to buy. I didn't like it. All that aloe tasted like backwash to me."

Yuzu glanced at her and Tomoyo back and forth nervously. "Um…"

"Hey. Get out of here, will you? Can't you see we are in the middle of something?" said Tomoyo.

Rukia ignored her again and wiped her hands with a paper towel. "I don't have high expectations when it comes to food that's sold at convenience stores but that drink was just… _vile_."

"Are you freaking deaf?!" Tomoyo raised her voice.

"In fact, it was so disgusting that I had to come back to tell you," Rukia continued.

Tomoyo rolled her eyes and let go to Yuzu. "I've had enough of your shit."

She walked over to Rukia and swung her arm but she instinctively moved out of the way and landed a punch on Tomoyo's cheekbones. She then grabbed Tomoyo by the back of her head and slammed her face down against the sink and let her fall on the floor. She poked Tomoyo with her shoe but sighed in exasperation when she noticed how she was already knocked out. She looked up at Rei, who was pointing a taser at her. Rukia smirked when she saw Rei's hands shake.

"You bitch!" Rei screamed as she lunged at her, only to have Rukia grab her by the wrist and twist her hand backwards until she heard the bones crack. Rei shrieked in pain as she dropped her taser and Rukia kicked her in the back, making her stumble backwards against the wall. Rei held her injured hand and glared at Rukia. "You broke my hand!"

" _Please_. You probably sprained it," said Rukia. She picked up the taser and approached Rei, crouching in front of her. "Let's talk. This convenience store right here? This happens to be the only one that actually sells good food and drinks—except for the disastrous crap I was forced to swallow earlier. And I like the little girl who works here…which is saying a lot since I don't get along with a lot of people. So I would appreciate it if you badass wannabes would leave her alone and never come back."

"W—who are you? Are you her sister?" Rei asked.

"If we were related, I would've done far more damage. By the way…" Rukia pointed at the taser. "You might want to prevent your hands from shaking if you want to prove to your opponent that you're not scared." She grabbed Rei by the neck and aimed the weapon just inches away. "So where shall I shock you first?"

"I know that uniform. You go to Karakura High School, don't you? If you hurt me, you're going to pay for it!" Rei warned. "I—I know some people!"

Rukia aimed the taser at Rei's chest this time and pressed the trigger, ignoring Rei's scream. "You do? Great. I know a lot of people."

"S—stop! Don't do this!" Rei begged as tears filled her eyes.

Rukia released her hand from Rei's neck. "Listen. Unless you've already made up your mind that this is the kind of life you want to live, do yourself a favor and snap out of it while you can. I've been in your situation and trust me…you get nothing out of it. Go home, straighten your head out, and focus on your studies."

Rukia picked up the envelope off the ground and tossed it at Yuzu. She then grabbed Rei's bag and started digging inside until she pulled out a wallet. She took out all the cash that was inside as well as Rei's student ID card.

"What…what are you doing?" Rei asked.

"Consultation fees," said Rukia as she stuffed them inside her bra. "I now know what school you go to. You come after this girl one more time, I swear to God this school will be the last one you will ever attend. Now take your friend and leave."

Rei picked up her belongings and gave Rukia a dirty look before picking up Tomoyo and dragging her out of the bathroom.

"If you want to come at me, I'll be at school!" Rukia called out.

* * *

"Wait! Miss! Miss!"

Yuzu called out as she ran out of the store to catch up with Rukia. "Thank you…thank you for everything you did back there," said Yuzu as she bowed. "I was really scared…I didn't think anyone was going to come help. But you did…thank you so much!"

"Are those girls the reason why you're working at that store?" Rukia asked.

"Yes…"

"Why didn't you tell your parents? Surely they would've helped you."

"I didn't want to get my dad to know so I decided to get a job instead. The owner was really shorthanded so he hired me on the spot and paid me in cash," Yuzu replied.

"Well, I don't think you need to worry about the girls coming after you again but you should still quit. You could get yourself into deeper trouble if the police finds out. Do you have your phone with you?" Yuzu nodded and gave it to Rukia, who entered her number before giving it back. "I want you to call me if they harass you again. But only for that reason."

Yuzu smiled kindly. "You're a really nice person."

"I'm not. I just think bullying someone for money is overrated," said Rukia.

Yuzu giggled. "But you took Rei's money."

"She didn't seem like she needed it."

"Miss, do you want to come over for dinner today? I'm a really good cook and I would like to thank you properly."

Rukia almost wanted to laugh but held it back. "Family dinner isn't my thing. Go home and stay out of trouble, little girl."

Rukia patted the top of Yuzu's head and left. Yuzu checked her cell phone and took a look at her new contact, which read 'Chappy.'

'I should've asked if she was by chance friends with Ichigo…' she thought.

* * *

As Ichigo finished his classwork, he glanced over at the empty desk next to him. Even on half days Rukia was a no-show for three hours. This was a pattern with her; she showed up and left the building whenever she felt like it. But what perplexed the class was how Miss Misato seemed perfectly fine with her outrageous attendance record.

"Your girlfriend isn't coming in," said Keigo. "You do not have to wait for her."

"You idiot…who said she was my girlfriend?" said Ichigo.

"Well, you keep staring at that desk looking like she's going to magically appear out of nowhere. Do you miss her when she's not around?" Keigo teased.

"Shut your face," Ichigo warned.

"It's a shame though," said Mizuiro. "Whenever we had new students they never had any problem getting along with everyone. I wonder why she is so hell bent on being alone?"

"I don't do friends."

Ichigo and his friends watched as Rukia climbed over a window to enter the classroom.

"There she is! What's up?" Keigo yelled as he reached for a high five. Rukia ignored it and sat down, finishing her half eaten tuna onigiri. "That's…cool too."

"What did I miss?" Rukia asked Ichigo.

Ichigo gave her a sheet of paper. "We need to turn in our post-graduation goals by end of next week. Miss Misato is also supposed to announce this semester's project today." Rukia slipped the paper in the drawer under her desk and crossed her arms as she leaned back. "Where were you?"

"Outside," Rukia replied.

Ichigo sighed. "Of course you were."

Miss Misato came inside carrying a box and stopped at each of her student's desk, giving them a folded sheet of paper.

"All right, class," she began. "As I mentioned this morning, there is a project due at the end of this semester. As you know, one of the main things that college recruits look for is your volunteer hours. Therefore, your project is to partner with someone from this classroom and do 100 hours of volunteer works. Headmaster Urahara took the time to contact various companies that agreed to accept you guys. You and your partner both need to work that same amount in order to receive credit. This means that if you put in the hours but your partner does not, both of you will fail this project. This is worth 25% of your total grade so I wouldn't take this lightly."

When she finished handing out the paper to her students, she went back to her lectern.

"On that sheet of paper, you will see your partner's name as well as the company you two have been assigned to. You are not allowed to change your partners nor are you allowed to change your locations. I expect every single one of you to finish this project without a problem."

Ichigo could feel his chest tighten as he looked at his paper. His partner was Rukia but the location they were assigned to was Karakura University Hospital…the place where his sister died.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Partners

Rukia strut across the corridor of the 5th floor of her school while clenching onto her group project paper. Unlike the four floors below that consisted of classrooms, the administrative floor was extravagantly decorated with Victorian furniture and endless rows of vases filled with fresh flowers.

The very sight of the beautiful hallway only added fuel to Rukia's raging annoyance and deepened her scowl as she continued to purposely stomp on her heels as loudly as possible. The administrative staffs watched her from their cubicles but none of them dared to stop her, knowing very well they were more likely to keep their job just by watching than trying to interfere.

As Rukia reached closer to the headmaster's office, her path was suddenly blocked by a cane that she immediately recognized. However, the person holding it was not Kisuke but his personal secretary, Yoruichi Shihoin.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kuchiki. May I ask where you are headed to?" Yoruichi asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I need to speak to Kisuke," said Rukia.

"Did you make an appointment to speak to him?"

"I sure as hell didn't. But since when do I need to make an appointment to see an old friend of mine?"

"Since the day you decided to attend this school. Now, if you didn't make an appointment, I must ask you to turn around and leave this floor."

Rukia glared at her. "I need to speak to him now. I can't work on the class project."

"And why is that?"

"Don't bullshit with me, Yoruichi. You know how I feel about hospitals. You think Kisuke didn't know that when he assigned this project to me?"

"I understand your frustration but please obey our rules and follow the proper procedures to speak to him. Otherwise, I cannot let you pass."'

"Tell me, Yoruichi, how does it feel to be Kisuke's personal bitch? I see you're now allowed to carry his favorite cane. Is that considered a promotion for you?" Rukia challenged.

Yoruichi's jaws twitched from the unexpected blow but she remained calm. "Miss Kuchiki, while you have been granted more freedom compared to other students when it comes to your attendance and your dress code, please allow me to remind you that you having personal history with the headmaster does not entirely excuse you from your rebellious behavior. Please act with caution, for your status does get reported back to your family." Her eyes began to soften. "Please…do not make me call security and have you kicked out."

Rukia smirked. "You're not going to do that yourself?"

"No, ma'am."

Rukia lowered the cane with her index finger and stared at Yoruichi with the slightest hint of remorse. "I see working for Kisuke has brought out the feminine side of you. It suits you."

"Please let me know when you are ready to return to your family. I will gladly leave this position and become your bodyguard again," Yoruichi's voice softened.

Rukia felt her anger rising again. "I will never forgive them," she grunted.

"Rukia?"

Rukia and Yoruichi turned around and saw Ichigo standing behind them.

"What are you doing here?" Rukia demanded.

"I came to set up an appointment to speak to the headmaster," Ichigo explained.

"What the hell do you want with Kisuke?" Rukia asked.

"Kisuke…?" Ichigo raised his eyebrows, surprised by both her informality and her sudden interest in him. "Well, I want to see if we can change the location for our project—"

"Mr. Kurosaki," Yoruichi intervened, "the headmaster has made it perfectly clear that he will not make any changes. If that is what you came to see him, I suggest you leave."

"Look. It seems like I'm not the only one who is against it. Kisuke has to at least hear our side of the story. Can you call him out for just a minute?" Rukia asked.

"No. Please return to downstairs," said Yoruichi.

"That's bull. Kisuke Urahara!" Rukia yelled. "I know you're hiding in that office! Get your ass out of there and talk to me right now! You hear me? Kisuke!"

"Miss Kuchiki, please don't yell—" Yoruichi tried to warn.

"Come out, damn it!" Rukia ignored her. "If you don't, I swear I will break all of your stupid flower vases and carve my name onto your furniture! You hear me?!"

Ichigo watched in shock while Yoruichi let out a small groan. After few moments, the doors finally opened and Kisuke stepped out into the hallway, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Of course I hear you. Who'd be able to ignore a monstrous voice like yours?" Kisuke commented. "Good afternoon, Ichigo. How are you doing?"

"I—I'm good. Thank you for asking," said Ichigo as he bowed.

Kisuke checked his watch. "Well, I do have to attend a meeting but I suppose I can spare five minutes for the two of you."

"But sir—" Yoruichi interrupted.

"Don't worry. I will still be on schedule." He motioned Rukia and Ichigo to enter and closed the door behind them. "Now, what can I help you with?"

"I hate your stupid project and I want you to change the location," Rukia ordered.

"Rukia…" Ichigo sighed, appalled by her lack of negotiation skills. "Headmaster, she and I have different reasons but it appears we both have an issue with where we were assigned to."

"Okay. What is wrong with it?" Kisuke asked.

"The hospital we are assigned to was where my sister died three years ago."

Rukia felt a sharp pain racing through her body as she let out a small gasp. She stared warily at him but he seemed almost unaffected despite exposing such a horrid memory.

"I see…and you, Rukia? What is your reason?"

"I…I don't like hospitals. That's all," Rukia lied.

"Thank you for bringing up your concerns. While it's unfortunate, if I make exceptions for you, I must make exceptions for everyone else. Please complete this project as it is but I will definitely take this into consideration when I'm reviewing it at the end," said Kisuke.

"So you're going to make us go through this."

"Perhaps this project will teach you how to face your fears instead of running away. Rukia, while I do realize you have already gained yourself a notorious reputation for being late, I do hope you take this project seriously. I would hate to see you fail it."

Rukia stayed quiet even as he escorted the two students out of his office. When Yoruichi entered inside, Kisuke cleaned up his desk and grabbed for his briefcase.

"Sir, I don't think they should've been partnered together for this project," said Yoruichi. "It was already dangerous enough to enroll Miss Kuchiki into this school. Now, you've just increased the chances of the two finding out the truth."

"That's what _needs_ to happen, Yoruichi. What that family is doing to her is unacceptable."

"With respect, the Kuchiki family has done everything they could to protect her."

"You're only saying that because you've served them for over ten years. If they told her the truth from the very beginning do you think Rukia would've turned out this way? They are only causing her more harm by trying to shield her."

"But you've also been given order by her brother to keep her past as a secret."

"Yoruichi, all I did was show a glimmer of light to her dark path. Whether she decides to follow it to see where it leads is up to her. And I expect you to stay quiet about it as well."

"Yes…" Yoruichi bowed.

* * *

"Oh, that sneaky bastard…" Rukia uttered under her breath as she and Ichigo waited for the elevator.

"Are you sure you want to be calling the headmaster that?" he asked.

"What else am I supposed to call him? He can use his role to change the rules anytime he wants. But this time, he decides to be stubborn about it and see this through. He pisses me off," she vented. She narrowed her eyes when Ichigo chuckled. "What's funny?"

"I've never seen this side of you, that's all. You know, you being all agitated," said Ichigo.

The elevator door opened and Ichigo stepped inside. However, Rukia knocked off a vase off of a pillar and watched as it broke on the floor before going into the elevator.

"What was that for?" Ichigo asked, surprised.

"Those lavenders are his favorite."

"And you felt the need to break the vase?"

"He didn't feel the need to help us out."

"Listen. About this project—"

"We are not discussing this here."

"What?"

"I know a place we can talk about it at. But I'm not saying another word here," said Rukia.

When the elevator landed on the first floor, Rukia put on her sunglass and walked out. Ichigo looked confused as he followed her. Where was she taking him now?

* * *

"Chappy! I missed you so much!" Rangiku grabbed Rukia and buried her face into her enormous chest. "It's been over a week since you last visited me! What took you so long?"

Rukia pulled her face back and pushed Rangiku's breasts away. "Let go of me, woman. Suffocating to death isn't the way I want to go, goddamn it."

"Still as cold as ever, aren't you?" Rangiku smiled. "I see you brought a guest with you this time. Who could this be? Perhaps your boyfriend?"

"Does this look like we're dating? This is Ichigo Kurosaki, my classmate."

"Oh! Well, it's nice to meet you. My name is Rangiku and I'm the owner of this place. What would you like to drink? It's all on the house so don't hesitate. Perhaps a mojito? Cosmo? Sex on the Beach?"

"Uh…water is fine, thank you," said Ichigo.

"Are you sure? Let me know if you change your mind. What about you, Chappy? Your usual?"

"Two Adios Motherfuckers will be perfect," Rukia growled.

"Wow. You must be having one hell of a day. All right then. I will be back with your drinks."

Ichigo watched as Rangiku walked away. She was wearing a corset that barely covered her breasts and her skirt was so short that she would've bared it all if she bent down.

"Keep looking and she will take it as a complement and give you a peep show," said Rukia.

"T—that's not what I was looking at!" Ichigo blushed.

"Said no straight, eighteen year old male…"

"I'm serious. I…I just can't believe you brought me to a bar. Not to mention your bartender is willing to serve underage kids like us."

"That's why I only come here during the day when it's closed."

"Is that why you're always late?"

"Have to find a way to deal with huge crowds. Let me ask you something. Were you telling the truth about what you said in Kisuke's office?"

"If I answer, will you answer some of my questions?" Ichigo asked.

"Depends."

"Fine. Yes, she did pass away."

"…How?"

"She was on her way home from school when a car hit her. She was announced brain dead so my family decided to pull the plug and let her go to end her suffering."

"I'm sorry."

Ichigo smiled sadly. "It doesn't hurt as much as it used to. We've accepted the fact that she died painlessly…and that has helped us to ease the pain and move on with our lives. What about you? What's your reason for not wanting to volunteer at that hospital?"

"I was also hospitalized few years ago. Couldn't get the smell, the sound, and the sick people out of my head even after I got out."

Rangiku returned to the table and placed two alcoholic drinks on each side. "Let me know if you want anything else," she winked at Ichigo before walking away.

"You're expecting me to drink this?" Ichigo asked.

"It's lame if you're just drinking water," said Rukia as finished hers in one sip.

"So are you going to put in the hours for this project or are you going to bail out on me?"

"I have to do it. Let's get this over with as quickly as we can. No point dragging this on when we both hate the place."

"I agree. I'm surprised you're willing to commit to this though, Rukia. I was worried you would be against working together with me on this."

"I do have to pass," she sighed. "Otherwise, Kisuke will report it back to my family and that's another headache I don't want to deal with right now."

"You keep referring to the headmaster by his first name. Are you two…friends?"

"No. He was just a terrible one night stand."

Ichigo choked on his water and coughed out loud. "What?!"

"You're quite gullible."

"Wait…so, you guys didn't…?" Ichigo asked dumfounded.

A small smile appeared on the corner of Rukia's lips. "No. He's a family friend."

Ichigo could not help but stare as the smirk disappeared as fast as it unexpectedly appeared for the first time. This was the longest conversation he managed to have with Rukia and actually receive responses that was longer than "yes" and "no." Perhaps it was the liquor but Rukia appeared to be more relaxed than usual.

"So…are we partners?"

Rukia pointed it at the glass in front of him. "Drink that and we will be."

Ichigo gulped it down while Rukia watched in amusement. Perhaps this partnership wasn't going to be as bad as they thought.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Memories

* * *

"I'm assuming you are my volunteer?" Uryu Ishida asked as he read the official document papers from Karakura High School.

"Yes. It's nice to meet you, Dr. Ishida," Ichigo answered.

He extended his hand out for a handshake but the doctor ignored it and looked at Ichigo disapprovingly. "I don't understand why our president even bothers accepting kids like you. This hospital isn't a daycare…we have patients who are in critical conditions. I don't know what they are expecting you to do." He looked at the paper again. "It says here that you're supposed to have a partner with you. Where is this person?"

"Here."

Ichigo sighed in relief when he saw her walking towards them. Even though she promised not to bail on him, he could not help but doubt her promise due to her infamous attendance record. However, he also noticed how Uryu's expression had softened almost immediately upon seeing Rukia.

"And you are…Rukia Kuchiki?" Uryu asked as he examined her petite body up and down.

"Well, it sure isn't Jesus," Rukia replied, clearly noticing how the doctor was staring at her.

Uryu cleared his throat and straightened his posture. "Very well then. I'm Dr. Uryu Ishida and I will be your point of contact. Make sure you two check in with me when you come in and leave." He handed them a badge. "These are your temporary ID's. It will give you basic access to the facility so do not lose it."

"What will be our duties?" Ichigo asked.

"Start cleaning the second floor. We are going through renovations right now so it will be vacant till end of this week," said Uryu.

"You want us to clean? Don't you have janitors for that?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course we do. And in case you haven't noticed, this is a hospital," said Uryu, annoyed with Ichigo's question. "There is nothing you can do that will benefit us so just clean and stay out of the way. In fact, Ichigo, you can have the cleaning duties. Rukia, I want you to come with me."

"But sir," Ichigo tried to argue, "shouldn't Rukia and I be working together?"

"Nowhere on your assignment does it say you two need to be together at all times," Uryu said icily. "Now go. I expect the floor to be clean."

Rukia gave Ichigo a blank look as she followed Uryu to the elevator. Ichigo's hands clenched into tight fists as he tried to find the utility room. He did not like this doctor and it was obvious that he felt the same way about Ichigo. What made it worse was that the floor he was assigned to clean was the place he was trying to avoid.

'100 hours to go. Don't think about anything else,' he calmly told himself.

He had the entire second floor to clean. All he needed to do was skip one room and that was it.

* * *

As Uryu led Rukia into his office, he hoped she would be impressed with the interior. Unlike regular offices, Uryu had it specially designed so that it would look more like a hotel suite. This office was his pride and joy as it not only demonstrated the fact that he was a young doctor, but an undoubtedly a rich one blessed with good looks. Perhaps she would notice his diploma that hung in a massive frame on the wall. Perhaps she would notice the Louis Vuitton messenger bag that hung on his coat rack.

He walked proudly as he took off his white coat, revealing his smooth, designer suit underneath. He looked at Rukia, expecting to see her gawking at him just like all of his previous girlfriends had done, only to find her dismissing her surroundings and trying to light a cigarette instead.

"W—what are you doing?" Uryu asked in shock. "You can't smoke in here!"

"Well, what do you want me to do then? You had me separated from my partner," said Rukia.

"Why don't you go make me some coffee?" Uryu asked.

Rukia glared at him. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. There is a coffee pot over there. Make sure it is freshly made."

Rukia put her cigarette away and stomped over to the kitchen sink. She picked up the carafe but noticed how Uryu had his back turned to her. She saw the toilet just few feet away and swiftly scooped water from the bowl and walked back to the sink. She poured the water into the reservoir and poured the coffee grounds into the filter. If he was going to treat her like a maid, he was about to be in for a rude awakening.

For the rest of the afternoon, Uryu had Rukia clean his entire office, scrub the toilet, and even polish his office decors. Rukia completed every task that was given to her but she ignored him throughout the day and did not speak unless she was spoken to.

Rukia bit her tongue and ignored the way Uryu kept his piercing eyes on her. She was very well aware of why Uryu kept dropping objects in front of him and had her pick them up, why he gave her tasks that required her to bend over, and why he forced her to follow him even when he was being called to see patients. If Uryu was just another stranger, Rukia would've knocked some common sense into him. But she had a feeling that in this situation, causing a scene would do her no good except have it notified to her family. She was better off staying quiet until she fulfilled her volunteer hours.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ichigo spent most of the day on the second floor trying to complete the task that was given to him by Uryu. There were few nurses on standby but the floor was mostly vacant and quiet. As Ichigo thoroughly cleaned one room after another, he felt a lump on the back of his throat when he walked past Room #208. For a brief second, he thought about going inside but decided against it. What was the point? After all, nothing good ever came out of trying to dig through the past.

When he finished most of his task, he looked around the hospital to find Rukia, only to be told by Uryu's secretary that she was on the rooftop. When Ichigo went to find her, he saw her standing by the fence smoking a cigarette.

"It's you…" said Rukia, relieved to see him.

"Were you hoping I was Dr. Ishida?" Ichigo asked.

"No. You have no idea how annoying the guy is. I thought I was about to lose my sanity working for him," said Rukia.

"Where is he now?"

"With some patient in the ER. I'm hoping he stays there until we leave."

"What did he have you doing all day?" Ichigo asked, amused by her foul mood.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Make coffee and clean his office. He even had me iron his shirt."

"Ah, so he has you working as a maid," his mind dancing at the thought of her in a French maid costume.

"How's the second floor?"

"Not bad. I have few more rooms to clean but I should be done by end of the day. If Dr. Ishida lets you out of his sight, do you think you can clean one of the rooms for me?"

Before Rukia could answer, the door opened and Uryu stepped out.

"Oh, shit…" Rukia whispered.

"I don't recall giving you permission to fool around, Ichigo," said Uryu as he walked towards them.

"I was taking a break," Ichigo tried to explain.

"Yes, I can see that. Now that you are done, I suggest you go back to your duties."

"But sir—"

"Now," Uryu ordered. "I'm sure you still have rooms to clean."

Ichigo gave Rukia an annoyed look as he walked away. Uryu waited until Ichigo disappeared and leaned against the fence next to Rukia, hoping she would be impressed with his Gucci belt he recently bought from the outlet mall. Surely by now she had to have noticed his sense of fashion.

"You don't mind if I stay with you for a little while, do you?" Uryu asked.

"I do," Rukia replied as she stared at the view of Karakura Town. "Was there any particular reason why you kicked Ichigo out?"

"I figured you and I have a nice chat." He dug into his pocket for his own cigarette. "So, have you thought about what college you plan on attending after high school?"

"No. That's too far away for me to think ahead," she replied.

"Ah, so you're more into short term than long term, huh? I like that as well," he grinned.

Rukia did not respond and blew the cigarette towards his face, hoping to turn him off. But he lit his own and stood closer to her.

"You should consider going to Karakura University. I graduated there and my father is also good friends with the dean. With our influences, you'd have no problem getting in," he explained.

"And why would you do such a thing for me?" Rukia asked.

"I don't mind helping those who I believe has potential. What do you say we talk about it later? Perhaps over dinner?" said Uryu, letting his eyes rest on her chest, wondering what her size was.

"No," said Rukia.

She tossed what was left of her cigarette, the flames barely missing Uryu's designer clothes. She then gave him a dirty look before walking away from the roof, leaving him flabbergasted by her rejection.

* * *

As Ichigo headed over to the second floor, he was unable to forget the way the doctor was staring at Rukia the moment he laid his eyes on her. There was nothing flattering about it…the only thing that was on his mind was lust; he was sure of it.

'Get a grip, idiot…' He thought, 'This is Rukia Kuchiki. There is no way she is interested in him.'

But in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder…what if she fell for his deceitful and disgusting behavior? What if she mistakenly took his lustful stare as him flirting with her? What if she actually liked him too?

His thought about turning around to return to the attic when he heard, "Hold on!"

Ichigo turned around and found Rukia walking down the hallway followed by Uryu.

"Tell me why you're saying no," he said. "This could be a good opportunity for you."

"Not interested," Rukia growled as she walked faster to get away from him.

"But how can you resist? Surely if you heard my offer you would reconsider," Uryu argued as he chased after her. "I'm not asking for much. Just come have dinner with me. I have access to all the five-star restaurants in Tokyo."

Rukia rolled her eyes when she realized he wasn't going to give up. When she saw Ichigo at the end of the hallway, she suddenly had an idea…but she immediately rejected it when she thought about it again. Using this tactic could actually backfire on her instead. But right on cue, one of the side doors opened and a female nurse stepped out.

"Miss?" Rukia called her.

The nurse turned to her and Rukia abruptly grabbed her by the face and pulled her close, kissing her passionately on the lips. Ichigo opened his mouth in shock and let the broom that he was holding fall from his hand while Uryu stopped on his track and looked speechless. No one said a single word even as Rukia slowly pulled back and smirked at the female nurse, who looked too stunned to speak.

Rukia let go of the nurse and then faced Uryu. "Sorry. Not into dicks."

She walked over to Ichigo and picked up the broom, ignoring his gaze. "Let's go," she ordered.

As Ichigo followed her, he could hear the female nurse's shriek fill the hallway. When Uryu finally came to his senses, he slowly began to chuckle until it turned into a full laughter. Never did a girl try to reject his advances by trying to prove that she was a lesbian.

"Dr. Ishida, you are needed to the ER room," a nurse called from the intercom.

Uryu continued to laugh as he headed towards his new destination. Rukia Kuchiki…she was a lot more interesting than he assumed.

* * *

Rukia entered the first room she could think of and grabbed a sanitized wipe from the table, thoroughly wiping her lips with it. Ichigo closed the door behind them and tried to recover from the shock he received earlier.

"What—what—that—there…" he stuttered, failing to form a basic sentence.

"Had to find a way to get rid of that doctor," said Rukia.

"But—nurse—you—" Ichigo continued, not noticing how idiotic he sounded.

Rukia threw the sanitizer wipe in the trash can and raised her eyebrow at him. "It was just a kiss. Although I figured that nurse would've come after me by now."

Ichigo allowed himself to calm down. "So you kissed _her_?!"

"At least I got the doctor off my back as well," Rukia shrugged. "Come on. I want to get this crap over with for the day."

Rukia began sweeping the floor and Ichigo let out a loud sigh as he tried to unfold the bed sheet. While he was glad to get Dr. Ishida off their trail, he was partially jealous that the person she chose to kiss was a nurse. Couldn't she have used him instead?

'What the hell are you thinking, you idiot…' Ichigo thought. 'Why would she kiss you?'

He tried to focus on his work but he suddenly stopped and scanned the room. He could sense the feeling of uneasiness as he looked at the furniture around him. This room looked just like the other previous rooms that he cleaned…but he knew what it was about this particular one that made him feel nervous.

"Rukia…did you happen to take a look at what room we are in?" Ichigo asked.

"Room #208," Rukia answered.

Yes…how could he have possibly forgotten this room? He had memorized the amount of steps it took to get to Room #208 from the hospital's entrance doors. He remembered feeling hopeful each time he came into this room, only to leave with feeling disappointed and scared.

Ichigo stumbled backwards as he began to feel dizzy. His eyes shifted left and right as he tried to block out the memories that were starting to come back. The cabinet was where Ichigo left his backpack whenever he came inside. The end table was where he and Yuzu placed fresh bouquet of flowers every week. The window was where he allowed Karin to sit by so that she could inhale the outside air. The closet was where he placed extra pair of clothes for his dying sister in case she woke up. And the bed was where he was forced to say his goodbyes.

Ichigo's hands shook as he gripped the support bar of the bed. Rukia turned around and frowned when she saw how pale he looked.

"What's wrong with you? You look like you're about to pass out," she said.

"I—I know…I think I need to sit for a while…"

Ichigo tried to walk towards the nearest chair but his legs gave out and he collapsed on the floor.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, alarmed.

She rushed over to his side and watched as he closed his eyes tightly and clenched onto his chest as if he was trying to prevent it from bursting. Sweat drops rolled down from his forehead to the floor and his breathing became heavier and louder.

"Are you claustrophobic?" She asked.

"It's not that…" He whispered. "This room...this is where my sister died."

All Ichigo could see was the darkness but he could feel the room spinning in circles. He thought he could get through this. It was one of the very few memories he had sealed away but he convinced himself that as long as he kept them hidden deep inside, the pain would eventually come to a stop for good. But now, it was too late. Stepping into the room where Karin passed away broke that seal for the first time in three years…and the flashback of that night came crashing into Ichigo's head.

 _"_ _Dad, why are you doing this? Why are you letting her go? This is Karin we're talking about. She's going to make it through this!" Ichigo yelled at Isshin._

 _The Kurosaki family stood by Karin's body in Room #208. It was December 20_ _th_ _…just five days before Christmas…and Isshin had finally made the decision to pull his daughter from life support after she had been announced brain dead._

 _"_ _Ichigo…we can't let Karin suffer any longer. You heard what the doctor said after she came out of the surgery. She can't come back ever again," he choked._

 _"_ _That's bullshit!" Ichigo cried. "It's only been over a week. I heard some people wake up again after being in a coma for weeks—even months or years! Y—you can't give up on her like this!"_

 _"_ _This is different from that, Ichigo," Masaki explained through her tears. "She's not in a coma…she's brain dead. She's already gone."_

 _"_ _But…but dad's a doctor! He can do something about it! He can fix her!" Ichigo argued._

 _"_ _I can't do it. I can't…" said Isshin. "She's…dead."_

 _Ichigo fought through his tears and placed his hand on Karin's chest. "Feel her heartbeat and tell me that again. She still has a pulse. She's still breathing. She's alive."_

 _"_ _Ichigo, we need to let her go," said Isshin firmly. He turned to Masaki and nodded his head._

 _Masaki wiped her tears and turned to Yuzu. "We need to go, sweetie."_

 _"_ _I'm not leaving! I'm staying with Karin!" Yuzu cried._

 _However, Masaki grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room. "You can't see this, Yuzu. We need to leave this room right now."_

 _Yuzu tried to release Masaki's grip and screamed. "Stop! I'm not leaving! Daddy, stop it! You can't let her go! You can't! Karin is still alive!"_

 _Yuzu's screams became louder even as she and Masaki left the room. Ichigo wanted to stop his mom from taking Yuzu away but his body remained paralyzed. It was as if his own brain took full control of his body and was punishing him by forcing him to watch his sister take her last breath. He saw Isshin reach for the ventilator and used his entire strength to rush towards him._

 _"_ _Dad, don't do it!" Ichigo begged._

 _Isshin ignored him and looked away from his daughter's lifeless body._

 _"_ _Don't kill Karin!" Ichigo screamed._

 _Isshin pressed the button and turned the machine off…and Ichigo could feel Karin leaving him._

* * *

When Ichigo opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the ceiling. He couldn't help but wonder…what was the last thing that Karin saw before she was taken away? Did she see the sky? What was the last thing she thought of? Was it her family?

He had been lying to himself…and to everyone around him who knew of Karin's death. The truth was, he wasn't okay. Deep inside, he was still upset that his father gave up on his sister so easily. He could've waited longer but he decided to abandon his hopes for a miracle by letting her go.

Ichigo turned sideways and found Rukia above him dozing off. It was then that he realized his head was resting on Rukia's lap while he laid on the floor. The right thing to do was to sit up and let her know that he was awake…but he kept quiet and watched as Rukia peacefully slept. Her tensed look was no longer visible and was now replaced with serenity.

Here was this girl who unexpectedly entered into his life and followed him to his school to retrieve her undergarment even though she could've easily bought another one. Ever since then, there has not been a moment when she did not spark Ichigo's curiosity. She was different from others—living by her own rules without worrying about possible consequences. She was brave. She was fearless. She was cold. She was guarded.

But that was what made her so beautifully unique. And now, all Ichigo wanted to do more than ever was touch her. But as he slightly shifted his hand, Rukia opened her eyes and stared down at him.

"Um…hi…" Ichigo muttered. "How long was I out?"

"About half an hour," said Rukia. "I was going to call a doctor but you begged me not to and fainted afterwards. Are you feeling better?"

"I think so."

"Can you get off of me then? You're making my legs fall asleep."

Ichigo sat up and Rukia groaned as she stretched her legs. "Did anyone find us?" Ichigo asked.

"No. I don't think they really care what we do," said Rukia. "To be honest, we could probably ditch this place and they wouldn't even notice."

Ichigo cringed at the thought of his grade failing. "You're not thinking about doing that, are you?"

"No." She stood up and helped him get back on his feet. "We still need to finish cleaning up this room."

"Wait. You're not going to ask…about her?"

"What else is there to know? You already told me how she passed away. At the end of the day, no one else will ever be able to fully understand your pain except yourself. It's something you need to figure out on your own."

There it was. This was the type of reaction he wanted—for someone to recognize his pain and yet let him live his own life. Here was Rukia, giving him the privacy that he needed.

"Have you ever…lost anyone?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia paused. "My mother."

"Guess we have that in common. I lost my mother as well."

Rukia crossed her arms and leaned against the bed. "Are you sure you're going to be able to continue volunteering here? If being here affects you this much, you need to speak to Kisuke again and ask for a different assignment. He's still a dick but he will take care of you once he finds out you fainted."

"No, it's okay. I want to finish this. Maybe we were placed here for a reason. Maybe this is a sign that I need to find my own closure."

"You're either really stupid or stubborn."

Ichigo smiled. "Most likely both."

"Well, it looks like you are starting to head towards the right direction."

"What do you mean?"

"It's like what you said…you need to find closure. Doesn't that mean you have a general idea of what you need to do to get better?"

Ichigo pondered for a while. "Maybe. But at least I have you with me."

Rukia stared in puzzlement, unsure what Ichigo meant. But as for Ichigo, he made up his mind. He wasn't sure if Rukia was aware of this but she was slowly letting him in…and he wasn't going to stop. He wanted Rukia.

* * *

The mornings at the Kuchiki Manor always started off punctually and in order. The entire staff was awake by 5:00am and began their morning by cleaning and dusting the first floor while the Kuchiki family slept upstairs. By 6:00am, the chefs started to prepare for the family's breakfast. By 6:30am, the gardeners had the flowers watered and the tree branches trimmed if needed. And by 7:00am, the newly appointed head butler, Renji Abarai, stood in front of Byakuya Kuchiki's bedroom door holding a breakfast tray.

He knocked on the door and said, "Sir, may I come in?"

"Enter," Byakuya called from inside.

Renji entered and found the eldest son of the Kuchiki family signing a stack of documents that came up to his head. He did not look up to acknowledge Renji even as he placed the tray on the desk. Renji opened the metal cloche and revealed a plate of scones.

"The chef prepared your favorite pumpkin scones for breakfast, sir."

Byakuya ignored him and continued to go over his documents while Renji prepared White Tea. As much as he enjoyed the pay raise that came with the new promotion, he wasn't too fond of his daily duties that consisted of being on call at all times to take Byakuya's orders and deliver breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He wasn't difficult to work for but the man was born and raised without a sense of humor and thus made Renji's job quite dull. Few months back, Byakuya told him that the only reason why he was chosen as the head butler was because he mastered at making White Tea. Renji mistakenly thought of the comment as a joke but soon realized Byakuya was not capable of performing such a task and was, in fact, telling the truth.

"You have a light schedule today compared to yesterday. You have two conference calls—one at 9:00am with the General Manager of the Ritz Hotel and one at 9:45am with the COO of the Mihama American Village. At 12:30, you have a lunch appointment with the Prime Minister and finally at 2:00, you have your quarterly meeting at Kuchiki Enterprise," Renji explained.

It wasn't until when Renji finished getting the White Tea ready did Byakuya finally look up at his butler. "What else do you have for me?"

"Just a couple things, sir. I did mail Miss Rukia the plane ticket that you requested and she sent us a response." Renji took out a card and opened it in front of Byakuya, revealing a torn plane ticket and a message written in red ink. "As you can see, she replied back with, 'Go to Hell.' She was even kind enough to send it over first-class mail."

Byakuya took the card and tossed it in the trash can. "What about her academic performance?"

"Atrocious, if you don't mind me being blunt. So far there hasn't been a single day she has shown up to class on time. She is, however, passing with a C due to the fact that she has managed to receive good grades on all of her exams. As for her interpersonal skills, she has not made any friends…nor does she seem interested in getting to know others. I believe it is safe to say that her communication skills run in this family."

Byakuya gave Renji a dirty look before drinking his tea. "Is that all?"

"One last thing, sir. Did you read my e-mail that I forwarded you yesterday?"

Byakuya turned on his laptop and scrolled down his inbox. "It was originally from Kisuke, was it not?"

"Yes, it was. He has sent us a bill and is asking us to pay for damages that Miss Rukia caused in his hallway. According to him, she purposely broke a vase after their meeting had gone awry."

"Very well. How much was it?"

"If my math is correct…I believe it is around £1,000,000," Renji answered. (A/N: Approximately $1.3 Million)

"What the hell is he doing with such an expensive item at his school?" Byakuya asked.

"He said it was an antique he won at an auction. He also said somewhere along the lines of, 'Byakuya is such a rich man so £1,000,000 should be nothing more than a pocket change for him,'" said Renji. "I actually did some research on the vase and it should only cost £500,000. The other half is him asking you to compensate for the emotional distress of losing his favorite vase."

"Tsk…of course he did," Byakuya clicked his tongue in disgust. "He truly is a sneaky bastard."

"What would you like for me to do?" Reni asked.

"Perhaps it's time for you to visit my little sister," Byakuya declared.


End file.
